Inkjet recording apparatus, computer-readable storage medium, and system

ABSTRACT

An inkjet recording apparatus, including a recording head with a nozzle, a cap, a moving mechanism to move at least one of the recording head and the cap, a communication interface, and a controller, is provided. In response to receipt of a preceding command from an information processing terminal through the communication interface, the controller determines a standby period based on a parameter being in correlation with a receiving interval between a preceding command and a record command. In response to elapse of the determined standby period, the controller controls the moving mechanism to uncap the recording head. In response to receipt of the record command from the information processing terminal, and in response to completion of the uncapping, the controller controls the recording head in accordance with the record command to discharge the ink from the nozzle to record the image on a medium.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 from JapanesePatent Application No. 2017-128429, filed on Jun. 30, 2017, the entiresubject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

The present disclosure is related to one or more aspects of an inkjetrecording apparatus capable of recording an image on a sheet.

Related Art

An information processing terminal and a printer may often be connectedwith each other through a communication network so that an instructionto print an image on a sheet may be transmitted from the informationprocessing terminal to the printer, and the printer receiving theinstruction may print the image on a sheet. Concerning such a printablesystem, attempts have been made to shorten First Print Out Time (FPOT),which is a length of time between input of the instruction to theprinter and discharge of the sheet with the printed image thereon fromthe printer.

One of the attempts may be found in, for example, a printer, which maystart a preparatory action in response to receipt of preceding data, andrecord an image in response to receipt of job data following thepreceding data. The preparatory action may include, for example, whenthe printer is an inkjet printer equipped with a cap that covers nozzlesof a recording head to prevent ink in the nozzles from drying,uncapping, i.e., separating the cap from the recording head.

SUMMARY

The length of time between input of a print instruction to the printerand discharge of a printed sheet from the printer in the above-mentionedprinter may vary on a print job basis. That is, for the longer timeperiod the receipt of the preceding data and the receipt of the job dataare apart, for the longer time period it may take after completion ofthe preparatory action before an image recording action starts. In thisregard, if the preparatory action includes the uncapping action, thenozzles may be exposed to the air while the cap may be separated fromthe recording head for the longer time period; therefore, the ink in therecording head may dry, and an image recording quality in the printermay be lowered.

An aspect of the present disclosure is advantageous in that an inkjetrecording apparatus, in which an image recording quality may berestrained from lowering, and the FPOT may be shortened, is provided.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an inkjet recordingapparatus, including a recording head having a nozzle for dischargingink; a cap configured to cover the nozzle; a moving mechanism configuredto move at least one of the recording head and the cap to shiftpositional relation between the recording head and the cap, between acovered state, in which the nozzle is covered by the cap contacting therecording head, and a separated state, in which the recording head andthe cap are separated from each other; a communication interface; and acontroller, is provided. The controller is configured to, in response toreceipt of a preceding command notifying upcoming transmission of arecord command, the record command being an instruction to the inkjetrecording apparatus to record an image on a medium, from an informationprocessing terminal through the communication interface, determine astandby period based on a parameter being in correlation with areceiving interval between receipt of the preceding command and receiptof the record command; in response to elapse of the determined standbyperiod, control the moving mechanism to uncap the recording head byshifting the positional relation between the recording head and the capfrom the covered state to the separated state; and in response toreceipt of the record command notified in the preceding command from theinformation processing terminal through the communication interface, andin response to completion of the uncapping, control the recording headin accordance with the record command to discharge the ink from thenozzle to record the image on the medium.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an inkjetrecording apparatus, including a recording head having a nozzle fordischarging ink; a cap configured to cover the nozzle; a movingmechanism configured to move at least one of the recording head and thecap to shift positional relation between the recording head and the cap,between a covered state, in which the nozzle is covered by the capcontacting the recording head, and a separated state, in which therecording head and the cap are separated from each other; acommunication interface; and a controller, is provided. Thecommunication interface includes a wired communication interfaceconfigured to communicate with an information processing terminalthrough a cable, and a wireless communication interface configured towirelessly communicate with the information processing terminal. Thecontroller is configured to, in response to receipt of a precedingcommand notifying upcoming transmission of a record command, the recordcommand being an instruction to the inkjet recording apparatus to recordan image on a medium, from the information processing terminal throughthe communication interface, determine a standby period; in response toelapse of the determined standby period, control the moving mechanism touncap the recording head by shifting the positional relation between therecording head and the cap from the covered state to the separatedstate; and in response to receipt of the record command notified in thepreceding command from the information processing terminal through thecommunication interface, and in response to completion of the uncapping,control the recording head in accordance with the record command todischarge the ink from the nozzle to record the image on the medium. Thecontroller determines the communication interface, through which thepreceding command was received, between the wired communicationinterface and the wireless communication interface. In response to adetermination that the preceding command was received through the wiredcommunication interface, the controller determines a first period as thestandby period. In response to a determination that the precedingcommand was received through the wireless communication interface, thecontroller determines a second period being longer than the first periodas the standby period.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a non-transitorycomputer readable medium storing computer readable instructions that areexecutable by a computer in an information processing terminal having anoperation interface and a communication interface, the communicationinterface being configured to communicate with a recording apparatus, isprovided. The computer readable instructions, when executed by thecomputer, cause the computer to, in response to receipt of an operationby a user to appoint image data through the operation interface,determine a standby period based on a parameter being in correlationwith an receiving interval between receipt of a preceding command andreceipt of a record command in the recording apparatus, the precedingcommand notifying upcoming transmission of the record command to therecording apparatus, and the record command being an instruction to therecording apparatus to record an image expressed in the image data on amedium; generate the record command from the image data; in response toelapse of the determined standby period, transmit the preceding commandto the recording apparatus through the communication interface; and inresponse to completion of the generating of the record command, transmitthe record command to the recording apparatus through the communicationinterface.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a system,including an information processing terminal and an inkjet recordingapparatus, is provided. The information processing terminal has anoperation interface, a first communication interface, and a firstcontroller. The inkjet recording apparatus has a recording headincluding a nozzle for discharging ink; a cap configured to cover thenozzle; a moving mechanism configured to move at least one of therecording head and the cap to shift positional relation between therecording head and the cap, between a covered state, in which the nozzleis covered by the cap contacting the recording head, and a separatedstate, in which the recording head and the cap are separated from eachother; a second communication interface; and a second controller. Thefirst controller is configured to, in response to receipt of anoperation by a user to appoint image data through the operationinterface, transmit a preceding command notifying upcoming transmissionof a record command to the inkjet recording apparatus through the firstcommunication interface, the record command being an instruction to theinkjet recording apparatus to record an image expressed in the imagedata on a medium; generate the record command from the image data; andin response to completion of the generating of the record command,transmit the record command to the inkjet recording apparatus throughthe first communication interface. The second controller is configuredto, in response to receipt of the preceding command from the informationprocessing terminal through the second communication interface,determine a standby period based on a parameter being in correlationwith an receiving interval between receipt of the preceding command andreceipt of the record command; in response to elapse of the determinedstandby period, control the moving mechanism to uncap the recording headby shifting the positional relation between the recording head and thecap from the covered state to the separated state; and in response toreceipt of the record command notified in the preceding command from theinformation processing terminal through the second communicationinterface, and in response to completion of the uncapping, control therecording head in accordance with the record command to discharge theink from the nozzle to record the image on the medium.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a system,including an information processing terminal and an inkjet recordingapparatus is provided. The information processing terminal has anoperation interface, a first communication interface, and a firstcontroller. The inkjet recording apparatus has a recording headincluding a nozzle for discharging ink; a cap configured to cover thenozzle; a moving mechanism configured to move at least one of therecording head and the cap to shift positional relation between therecording head and the cap, between a covered state, in which the nozzleis covered by the cap contacting the recording head, and a separatedstate, in which the recording head and the cap are separated from eachother; a second communication interface; and a second controller. Thefirst controller is configured to, in response to receipt of anoperation by a user to appoint image data through the operationinterface, determine a standby period based on a parameter being incorrelation with an receiving interval between receipt of a precedingcommand and receipt of a record command in the inkjet recordingapparatus, the preceding command notifying upcoming transmission of therecord command, and the record command being an instruction to theinkjet recording apparatus to record an image expressed in the imagedata on a medium; generate the record command from the image data; inresponse to elapse of the determined standby period, transmit thepreceding command to the inkjet recording apparatus through the firstcommunication interface; and in response to completion of the generatingof the record command, transmit the record command to the inkjetrecording apparatus through the first communication interface. Thesecond controller is configured to, in response to receipt of thepreceding command from the information processing terminal through thesecond communication interface, control the moving mechanism to uncapthe recording head by shifting the positional relation between therecording head and the cap from the covered state to the separatedstate; and in response to receipt of the record command notified in thepreceding command from the information processing terminal through thesecond communication interface, and in response to completion of theuncapping, control the recording head in accordance with the recordcommand to discharge the ink from the nozzle to record the image on themedium.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective exterior view of a multifunction peripheral(MFP) 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a printer 11 in the MFP 10according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a carriage 23 and guide rails 43, 44 in theprinter 11 according to the exemplary embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 4A is an illustrative view of a maintenance device 70 in theprinter 11 according to the exemplary embodiment of the presentdisclosure. FIG. 4B is an illustrative view of an ink receiver 75 in theprinter 11 according to the exemplary embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C are illustrative views of a switcher 170 in a firstmode, a second mode, and a third mode, respectively, according to theexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram to illustrate a configuration in the MFP 10according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7A is a block diagram to illustrate a configuration of aninformation processing terminal 150 according to the exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7B is an illustrative view ofan editor screen to be displayed in a display 153 of the informationprocessing terminal 150 according to the exemplary embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are flowcharts to illustrate flows of steps in a printinstruction process <A> and a print instruction process <B>,respectively, to be conducted in the information processing terminal 150according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart to illustrate a flow of steps in an imagerecording process to be conducted in the MFP 10 according to theexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart to illustrate a flow of steps in a flushingcondition determining process to be conducted in the MFP 10 according tothe exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart to illustrate a flow of steps in a standby perioddetermining process to be conducted in the MFP 10 according to theexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a timing chart to illustrate timings to conduct a firstpreparatory process and a second preparatory process in the MFP 1, whenthe standby period is zero (0) second, according to the exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 is a timing chart to illustrate timings to conduct the firstpreparatory process and the second preparatory process in the MFP 1,when the standby period is longer than zero second, according to theexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, the exemplary embodiment according to an aspect of thepresent disclosure will be described in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

It is noted that various connections may be set forth between elementsin the following description. These connections in general and, unlessspecified otherwise, may be direct or indirect and that thisspecification is not intended to be limiting in this respect.

In the following description, one-way transition for an item to movefrom one point toward another point may be expressed by a term“orientation” or by a suffix “-ward,” e.g., “leftward,” “rightward,”etc. Meanwhile, two-way movable track for an item to move in one way orthe other way between one point and another point along a line or in acircular rotation may be expressed by a term “direction.” Further,positional relation within the MFP 10 and each part or item included inthe MFP 10 will be mentioned on basis of a user's position to ordinarilyuse the MFP 10, as indicated by the bi-directionally pointing arrows insome of the drawings. For example, in FIG. 1, a vertical axis between anupper side and a lower side in the drawing may be defined as a verticaldirection 7. While a side, on which an opening 13 is arranged, isdefined as a front side to the user, a horizontal axis between the frontside and a rear side opposite from the front side may be defined as afront-rear direction 8. Further, a horizontal axis between a right-handside and a left-hand side to the user when the user faces toward thefront side of the MFP 10 may be defined as a widthwise direction 9.

[Configuration of System]

A printing system according to the present embodiment includes the MFP10 shown in FIG. 1 and an information processing terminal 150 shown inFIG. 7A. The MFP 10 and the information processing terminal 150 areconnected to communicate with each other through a communicationnetwork. The communication network may include, for example, a wiredLAN, a wireless LAN, and combination of the wired LAN and the wirelessLAN. For another example, the MFP 10 and the information processingterminal 150 may be connected with each other through a cable such as aUSB cable. For another example, the communication network may includeone or more MFPs 10 and one or more information processing terminals150.

[Overall Configuration of MFP 10]

The MFP 10 has, as shown in FIG. 1, an overall shape of a six-sidedrectangular box. The MFP 10 includes a printer 11 being an inkjetprinter. The MFP 10 may further include a scanner (unsigned), which mayread an image of an original sheet and generate image data correspondingto the read image.

[Printer 11]

The printer 11 may record an image, which is provided to the printer 11in a form of image data, on a sheet 12 (see FIG. 2) by discharging inkat the sheet 12. In other words, the printer 11 is an inkjet-recordingprinter. The printer 11 includes, as shown in FIG. 2, sheet feeders 15A,15B, feeder trays 20A, 20B, an ejection tray 21, a conveyer roller 54, arecorder 24, an ejection roller 55, and a platen 42.

[Feeder Trays 20A, 20B and Ejection Tray 21]

On a front face of the printer 11, formed is the opening 13 (see FIG.1). The feeder trays 20A, 20B are movable in the front-rear directionthrough the opening 13 to be attached to or detached from the printer11. The feeder trays 20A, 20B may support one or more sheets 12 instacks thereon. The ejection tray 21 may support the sheet(s) 12 ejectedby the ejection roller 55 through the opening 13.

[Sheet Feeders 15A, 15B]

The sheet feeder 15A includes, as shown in FIG. 2, a feeder roller 25A,a feeder arm 26A, and a shaft 27A. The feeder roller 25A is rotatablyattached to one end of the feeder arm 26A. The feeder arm 26A ispivotable about the shaft 27A, which is supported by a frame (unsigned)of the printer 11. The feeder arm 26A is urged toward the feeder tray20A by, for example, the effect of gravity or by an urging force of aspring (not shown). The sheet feeder 15B includes a feeder roller 25B, afeeder arm 26B, and a shaft 27B, which are substantially in a samestructure as those in the sheet feeder 15A. The sheets 12A on the feedertray 20A may be fed by the feeder roller 25A, which is rotatable by adriving force generated by a feeder motor 101 (see FIG. 6) rotating in anormal direction, to a conveyer path 65. The sheets 12A on the feedertray 20B may be fed by the feeder roller 25B, which is rotatable by thedriving force generated by the feeder motor 101 in the normal direction,to the conveyer path 65.

[Conveyer Path 65]

The conveyer path 65 is formed in an area between guide members 18, 19and in an area between guide members 30, 31. The guide members 18, 30and the guide members 19, 31 are spaced apart from each other,respectively, for a predetermined amount to face each other inside theprinter 11. The conveyer path 65 includes paths that extend in arearward area in the printer 11 from rearward ends of the feeder trays20A, 20B. The conveyer path 65 extends upward at the rearward area inthe printer 11, curves frontward in an approximate shape of a U, andextends frontward through the recorder 24 to the ejection tray 21. Thesheets 12 may be conveyed in the conveyer path 65 in a conveyingorientation 16, which is indicated by a dash-and-dotted arrow shown inFIG. 2.

[Conveyer Roller 54]

The conveyer roller 54 is disposed on an upstream side of the recorder24 along the conveying orientation 16. The conveyer roller 54 includes aconveyer roller 60 and a pinch roller 61, which are paired to face eachother. The conveyer roller 54 may be driven to rotate by a driving forcegenerated by normal rotation of a conveyer motor 102 (see FIG. 6) andtransmitted thereto. The pinch roller 61 may rotate along with therotation of the conveyer roller 60. The sheet 12 may be pinched betweenthe conveyer roller 60 rotating in a normal direction and the pinchroller 61 and conveyed along the conveying orientation 16. The conveyerroller 60 is rotatable in a reverse direction by a driving forcegenerated by the conveyer motor 102 when the conveyer motor 102 rotatesin a reverse direction.

[Ejection Roller 55]

The ejection roller 55 is disposed on a downstream side of the recorder24 along the conveying orientation 16. The ejection roller 55 includesan ejection roller 62 and a spur wheel 63, which are paired to face eachother. The ejection roller 62 may be driven to rotate by the rotation ofthe conveyer motor 102. The spur wheel 63 may rotate along with therotation of the ejection roller 62. The sheet 12 may be pinched betweenthe ejection roller 62 rotating a normal direction and the spur wheel 63and conveyed along the conveying orientation 16.

[Registration Sensor 120]

The printer 11 includes, as shown in FIG. 2, a registration sensor 120,which is disposed on an upstream side of the conveyer roller 54 alongthe conveying orientation 16. The registration sensor 120 may outputdifferent-leveled detection signals depending on presence and absence ofthe sheet 12 in a detective area corresponding to a position of theregistration sensor 120. For example, the registration sensor 120 mayoutput a high-leveled detection signal to a controller 130 (see FIG. 6)in response to detecting presence of the sheet 12 at the detective areaand a low-leveled detection signal to the controller 130 in response todetection of absence of the sheet 12 at the detective area.

[Rotary Encoder 121]

The printer 11 includes, as shown in FIG. 6, a rotary encoder 121, whichmay generate pulse signals according to the rotation of the conveyerroller 60, in other words, according to the driving rotation of theconveyer motor 102. The rotary encoder 121 includes an encoder disk andan optical sensor, which are not shown. The encoder disk may rotatealong with the rotation of the conveyer roller 60. The optical sensormay read the rotation of the encoder disk, generate pulse signalscorresponding to the rotation of the encoder disk, and output thegenerated pulse signals to the controller 130.

[Recorder 24]

The recorder 24 is, as shown in FIG. 2, arranged between the conveyerroller 54 and the ejection roller 55 along the conveying orientation 16.The recorder 24 is arranged to vertically face a platen 42 along thevertical direction 7. The recorder 24 includes a carriage 23, arecording head 39, an encoder sensor 38A, and a medium sensor 122. Thecarriage 23 is, as shown in FIG. 3, connected with an ink tube 32 and aflexible flat cable 33. The ink tube 32 may supply ink from an inkcartridge (not shown) to the recording head 39. The flexible flat cable33 electrically connects the recording head 39 with a control board (notshown), on which the controller 130 is mounted.

The carriage 23 is, as shown in FIG. 3, supported by guide rails 43, 44,which are arranged along the widthwise direction 9 to be spaced apartalong the front-rear direction 8 from each other. The carriage 23 iscoupled with a known driving belt (not shown), which is arranged on theguide rail 44 and may be driven to circulate by a carriage motor 103(see FIG. 6). As the driving belt circulates, the carriage 23 coupled tothe driving belt may reciprocate in one orientation and in a reversedorientation along the widthwise direction 9 in an area, which includes asheet-facing area.

The sheet-facing area refers to an area, in which the carriage 23 mayface with the sheet 12 being conveyed by the conveyer roller 54 and/orthe ejection roller 55, and extends longitudinally in a main scanningdirection, which may coincide with the widthwise direction 9. In otherwords, the sheet-facing area refers to a part of an area ranging abovethe sheet 12, when the sheet 12 is conveyed over the platen 42 by theconveyer roller 54 and/or the ejection roller 55, and through which thecarriage 23 may reciprocate. The carriage 23 may move in, additionallyto the sheet-facing area, a left-side area and a right-side area withrespect to the sheet-facing area. In other words, the carriage 23 maymove in the widthwise direction 9 between the left-side area and theright-side area with respect to the sheet-facing area through thesheet-facing area.

The recording head 39 is, as shown in FIG. 2, mounted on the carriage23. A lower surface of the recording head 39 forms a nozzle surface,through which a plurality of nozzles 40 are formed. The recording head39 includes a plurality of driving devices (not shown), such as piezoactuators, each of which is provided to one of the plurality of nozzles40. In other words, the recording head 39 includes a plurality of setsof a nozzle 40 and a driving device. The recording head 39 may be drivento discharge ink droplets through the nozzles 40 by vibration of thepiezo actuators. As the carriage 23 moves in the widthwise direction 9,the recording head 39 may discharge the ink droplets at the sheet 12,which is on the platen 42, to record an image on the sheet 12 in theink.

The driving devices may be, for example, but not necessarily limited to,discharging-energy generating devices, to which driving voltages from apower source 110 (FIG. 6) may be applied, and which may generatevibrating energy to discharge the ink droplets from the nozzles 40 fromthe applied voltages. Meanwhile, the discharging-energy generatingdevices may be, for another example, heaters to generate thermal energy.The heaters may heat the ink by the thermal energy generated from thedriving voltage applied by the power source 110 to discharge droplets offoamed ink through the nozzles 40. The recording head 39 may discharge,for example, pigmentary ink, or for another example, dye ink.

The nozzles 40 are, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, arranged in to align inlines along the front-rear direction 8 and in rows along the widthwisedirection 9. A line of ink aligned along the front-rear direction 8 maydischarge ink droplets in a same color. On the nozzle surface, 24 linesof nozzles 40 may align along the widthwise direction 9. Six (6) linesof nozzles 40 adjoining along the widthwise direction 9 may dischargeink droplets in a same color. For example, first six lines of nozzles 40from the right may discharge droplets of ink in black, second six linesof nozzles 40 from the right may discharge droplets of ink in yellow,third six lines of nozzles 40 from the right may discharge droplets ofink in cyan, and fourth six lines of nozzles 40 from the right maydischarge droplets of ink in magenta. It may be noted that the quantityand/or arrangement of the colors of the ink to be discharged may notnecessarily be limited to those mentioned above.

Meanwhile, on the guide rail 44, as shown in FIG. 3, arranged is anencoder strip 38B, which longitudinally extends in the widthwisedirection 9. Meanwhile, an encoder sensor 38A is arranged on a lowersurface of the carriage 23 at a position to vertically face the encoderstrip 38B. As the carriage 23 moves in the widthwise direction 9, theencoder sensor 23 may read indication of the encoder strip 38B, generatepulse signals corresponding to the indication of the encoder strip 38B,and output the generated pulse signals to the controller 130. Theencoder sensor 38A and the encoder strip 38B may together form acarriage sensor 38 (see FIG. 6).

[Medium Sensor 122]

The medium sensor 122 is, as shown in FIG. 2, mounted on a downwardsurface, i.e., a surface facing the platen 42. The medium sensor 122includes a light-emitter and light-receiver, which include, for example,a light-emitting diode and an optical sensor, respectively. Thelight-emitter may emit light in a predetermined amount commanded by thecontroller 130 at the platen 42. The light emitted from the lightemitter may reflect on either the platen 42 or the sheet 12 on theplaten 42 and received by the light-receiver. The medium sensor 122 mayoutput detection signals corresponding to an amount of the receivedlight to the controller 130. For example, a level of the signal to beoutput from the medium sensor 122 may be higher when the amount of thereceived light is larger.

[Platen 42]

The platen 42 is, as shown in FIG. 2, disposed between the conveyerroller 54 and the ejection roller 55 along the conveying orientation 16.The platen 42 is arranged to face the recorder 24 along the verticaldirection 7. The platen 42 may support the sheet 12 conveyed by at leastone of the conveyer roller 54 and the ejection roller 55 from a lowerside. The platen 42 may have a lower optical reflectance rate than thesheet 12.

[Maintenance Device 70]

The printer 11 includes, as shown in FIG. 3, a maintenance device 70,which may work to maintain the recording head 39 operable. Inparticular, the maintenance device 70 may conduct a purging process toremove remainder ink, including air in the ink and obstacles adhered tothe nozzle surface, from the nozzles 40. The remainder ink removed fromthe nozzles 40 by the maintenance device 70 may be collected in a wasteliquid tank 74 (see FIG. 4A). The maintenance device 70 may be, as shownin FIG. 3, located at a rightward and lower position with respect to thesheet-facing area. The maintenance device 70 includes, as shown in FIG.4A, a cap 71, a tube 72, and a pump 73.

The cap 71 may be made of rubber. The cap 71 is located at a position toface the recording head 39 on the carriage 23 when the carriage 23 islocated at a maintenance position, which is a rightward position withrespect to the sheet-facing area in the widthwise direction 9. The tube72 connects the cap 71 to the waste liquid tank 74 through the pump 73.The pump 73 may be, for example, a rotary-typed tube pump. The pump 73driven by the conveyer motor 102 may aspirate the remainder ink from thenozzles 40 through the cap 71 and the tube 72 and deliver the remainderink to the waste liquid tank 74 through the tube 72.

The cap 71 may move between a covering position, at which the cap 71 maycover the recording head 39, and a separate position, at which the cap71 is separated from the covering position in the vertical direction 7.When in the covering position, the cap 71 may fit to the recording head39 on the carriage 23 being at the maintenance position to seal thenozzle surface of the recording head 39. In other words, the cap 71 andthe recording head 39 are in a covered state, in which the nozzles 40are covered by the cap 71, when the cap 71 is at the covering position.On the other hand, the cap 71 and the recording head 39 are in aseparated state, in which the recording head 39 and the cap 71 areseparated from each other, when the cap 71 is at the separate position.The cap 71 may be, for example, moved vertically up and down by, but notnecessarily limited to, a vertically-moving device 76 (see FIG. 4A),which may be driven by the feeder motor 101, between the coveringposition and the separate position.

For another example, the cap 71 may be moved by a linking device (notshown), which may operate in conjunction with the carriage 23 moving inthe widthwise direction 7, rather than the lifting device 76 driven bythe feeder motor 101. The linking device may move between a firstposture, in which the linking device holds the cap 71 at the coveringposition, and a second posture, in which the linking device holds thecap 71 at the separate position. The linking device may be, for example,pushed by the carriage 23 moving rightward toward the maintenanceposition to move from the second posture to the first posture. Foranother example, the linking device may be pushed by the carriage 23moving leftward from the maintenance position to move from the firstposture to the second posture.

For another example, the MFP 10 may have a vertically-moving device (notshown), which may move the guide rails 43, 44 vertically up and down,rather than the devices that may move the cap 71. For example, thecarriage 23 at the maintenance position 23 may be moved vertically alongwith the guide rails 43, 44 which are moved vertically by thevertically-moving device. Meanwhile, the cap 71 may be fixed at theposition to vertically face the recording head 39 mounted on thecarriage 23, which is located at the maintenance position. When theguide rails 43, 44 and the carriage 23 are lowered by thevertically-moving device to a lower predetermined position, the nozzlesurfaces of the recording head 39 may be covered by the cap 71. When theguide rails 43, 44 and the carriage 23 are uplifted by thevertically-moving device to an upper predetermined position, therecording head 39 may be separated from the cap 71, and the carriage 23may be enabled to move in the main scanning direction.

For another example, the MFP 10 may have both of the vertically-movingdevice 76 to move the cap 71 and the vertically-moving device to movethe guide rails 43, 44. Thus, the carriage 23 and the cap 71 may bemoved closer to each other to fit the cap 71 to the nozzle surface. Thecarriage 23 and the cap 71 may be moved to be separated from each otherto separate the cap 71 from the nozzle surface. In this regard, thecovering position and the separate position may refer to positionalrelation between the recording head 29 and the cap 71. The positionalrelation between the recording head 39 and the cap 71 may be changed bymoving one of or both of the recording head 39 and the cap 71. In otherwords, when the recording head 39 and the cap 71 are moved relatively toeach other, the positional relation in the recording head 39 and the cap71 may be changed.

[Cap Sensor 123]

The printer 11 includes, as shown in FIG. 6, a cap sensor 123. The capsensor 123 may output detection signals in different levels depending onthe position of the cap 71. For example, the cap sensor 123 may output ahigh-leveled detection signal to the controller 123 in response todetecting the cap 71 located at the covering position and a low-leveleddetection signal to the controller 130 in response to detecting the cap71 located at a position different from the covering position. When thecap 71 being located at the covering position is moved to the separateposition, the detection signals output from the cap sensor 123 maychange from the high-leveled signal to the low-level signal as soon asthe cap 71 leaves the covering position and before the cap 71 reachesthe separate position.

[Ink Receiver 75]

The printer 11 includes, as shown in FIG. 3, an ink receiver 75. The inkreceiver 75 is located at a leftward and lower position with respect tothe sheet-facing area. In particular, the ink receiver 75 is located ata position to face the lower surface of the recording head 39 mounted onthe carriage 23 when the carriage 23 is at the left-side area withrespect to the sheet-facing area. However, the maintenance device 70 andthe ink receiver 75 may not necessarily be located on different sides ofthe sheet-facing area along the main scanning direction but may belocated on a same side. When the maintenance device 70 and the inkreceiver 75 are located on the same side of the sheet-facing area alongthe main scanning direction, the maintenance device 70 and the inkreceiver 75 should be separated from each other along the main scanningdirection.

The ink receiver 75 is, as shown in FIG. 4B in an approximate shape of atop-open rectangular box with an opening 75A at a top thereof. A widthof the opening 85A along the main scanning direction may be smaller thana width of the nozzle surface along the main scanning direction. Insidethe ink receiver 75, disposed are guide walls 75B, 75C, which are spacedapart along the widthwise direction 9 from each other and spread tointersect with the main scanning direction.

The guide walls 75B, 57C are each in a shape of a plate spreading in thevertical direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8. With respect to thewidthwise direction 9, the guide walls 75B, 75C are arranged to incline.In particular, the guide walls 75B, 75C inside the ink receiver 75 arein such an arrangement that surfaces thereof on the left are orientednot straight to the left but upper-leftward. Therefore, as shown in FIG.4B, upper ends of the guide walls 75B, 75C are closer to the right thanlower ends of the guide walls 75B, 75C. The guide walls 75B, 75C maydirect the ink droplets discharged from the recording head 39 inward,i.e., to a bottom of the ink receiver 75. It may be noted that aquantity of the guide walls 75B, 75C is not limited to two (2).

Alternatively to the ink receiver 75, the cap 71 may be configured toreceive the ink droplets discharged from the recording head 39.

[Driving Force Transmission 80]

The printer 11 includes, as shown in FIG. 6, a driving forcetransmission 80. The driving force transmission 80 may transmit thedriving force from the feeder motor 101 and from the conveyer motor 102to the feeder rollers 25A, 25B, the conveyer roller 60, the ejectionroller 62, the vertically-moving device 76 for the cap 71, and the pump73. One or more of a gear, a pulley, an endless belt, a planet-gearsystem, a pendulum gear system, and a one-way clutch may be assembledtogether to form the driving force transmission 80. The driving forcetransmission 80 further includes a switcher 170 (see FIG. 5), which mayswitch destinations of the driving force from the feeder motor 101 andfrom the conveyer motor 102.

[Switcher 170]

The switcher 170 is, as shown in FIG. 3, located at a rightward positionwith respect to the sheet-facing area and at a lower position withrespect to the guide rail 43. The switcher 170 includes, as shown inFIG. 5, a slider 171, driving gears 172, 173, driven gears 174, 175,176, 177, a lever 178, and springs 179, 180. The switcher 170 may switchtransmittable modes thereof among a first mode, a second mode, and athird mode.

In the first mode, the driving force from the feeder motor 101 may betransmitted to the feeder roller 25A but to neither of the feeder roller25B nor the vertically-moving device 76 for the cap 71. In the secondmode, the driving force from the feeder motor 101 may be transmitted tothe feeder roller 25B but to neither of the feeder roller 25A nor thevertically-moving device 76 for the cap 71. In the third mode, thedriving force from the feeder motor 101 may be transmitted to thevertically-moving device 76 for the cap 71 but to neither of the feederrollers 25A, 25B. In the first mode and the second mode, further, thedriving force from the conveyer motor 102 may be transmitted to theconveyer roller 60 and the ejection roller 62 but not to the pump 73. Inthe third mode, the driving force from the conveyer motor 102 may betransmitted to the conveyer roller 60, the ejection roller 62, and thepump 73.

The slider 171 is in a cylindrical shape supported by a supportingshaft, which is indicated by broken lines in FIGS. 5A-5C, extending inthe widthwise direction 9. The slider 171 is slidable on the supportingshaft along the widthwise direction 9. The slider 171 supports thedriving gears 172, 173 on an outer surface thereof at differentpositions along the widthwise direction 9 independently rotatably. Inother words, the driving gears 172, 173 are rotatable on the outersurface of the slider 171 to rotate independently from each other. Theslider 171 and the driving gears 172, 173 may slide in the widthwisedirection 9 jointly.

The driving gear 172 may be rotated by the rotating driving force fromthe feeder motor 101 transmitted thereto. The driving gear 172 may meshwith one of the driven gears 174, 175, 176. In particular, the drivinggear 172 meshes with the driven gear 174, as shown in FIG. 5A, when theswitcher 170 is in the first mode. When the switcher 170 is in thesecond mode, as shown in FIG. 5B, the driving gear 172 meshes with thedriven gear 175. When the switcher 170 is in the third mode, as shown inFIG. 5C, the driving gear 172 meshes with the driven gear 176.

The driving gear 173 may be rotated by the rotating driving force fromthe conveyer motor 102 transmitted thereto. The driving gear 173 isunmeshed from the driven gear 177, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, when theswitcher 170 is in the first mode and the second mode. When the switcher170 is in the third mode, as shown in FIG. 5C, the driving gear 173meshes with the driven gear 177.

The driven gear 174 meshes with a gear train (not shown), which mayrotate the feeder roller 25A. Therefore, the rotating driving force fromthe feeder motor 101 may be transmitted to the feeder roller 25A whenthe driving gear 172 meshes with the driven gear 174. In other words,the rotating driving force from the feeder motor 101 may not betransmitted to the feeder roller 25A when the driving gear 172 isunmeshed from the driven gear 174.

The driven gear 175 meshes with a gear train (not shown), which mayrotate the feeder roller 25B. Therefore, the rotating driving force fromthe feeder motor 101 may be transmitted to the feeder roller 25B whenthe driving gear 172 meshes with the driven gear 175. In other words,the rotating driving force from the feeder motor 101 may not betransmitted to the feeder roller 25B when the driving gear 172 isunmeshed from the driven gear 175.

The driven gear 176 meshes with a gear train (not shown), which maydrive the vertically-moving device 76 for the cap 71. Therefore, therotating driving force from the feeder motor 101 may be transmitted tothe vertically-moving device 76 for the cap 71 when the driving gear 172meshes with the driven gear 176. In other words, the rotating drivingforce from the feeder motor 101 may not be transmitted to thevertically-moving device 76 when the driving gear 172 is unmeshed fromthe driven gear 176.

The driven gear 177 meshes with a gear train (not shown), which maydrive the pump 73. Therefore, the rotating driving force from theconveyer motor 102 may be transmitted to the pump 73 when the drivinggear 173 meshes with the driven gear 177. In other words, the rotatingdriving force from the conveyer motor 102 may not be transmitted to thepump 73 when the driving gear 173 is unmeshed from the driven gear 177.

Meanwhile, the rotating driving force from the conveyer motor 102 may betransmitted to the conveyer roller 60 and the ejection roller 62 withoutbeing transmitted through the switcher 170. Therefore, the conveyerroller 60 and the ejection roller 62 may be driven by the rotatingdriving force from the conveyer motor 102 to rotate regardless of thetransmittable mode in the switcher 170.

The lever 178 is supported by the supporting shaft at a rightwardadjoining position to the slider 171. The lever 178 is slidable on thesupporting shaft along the widthwise direction 90. The lever 178 extendsupward through an opening 43A (see FIG. 3) formed in the guide rail 43to a position, in which an upper part of the lever 178 may be pushed bythe carriage 23. Thus, the lever 178 may be moved by the carriage 23 toslide in the widthwise direction. Meanwhile, the switcher 170 has aplurality of stoppers (not shown), which are engageable with the lever178 so that the lever 178 engaged with one of the stoppers may stay atthe engaged position when the carriage 23 stops pushing the lever 178and moves to be away from the lever 178. The stoppers may include afirst stopper, a second stopper, and a third stopper, which are notshown.

The springs 179, 180 are supported on the supporting shaft. The spring179 is arranged to contact a frame (unsigned) of the printer 11 at oneend thereof, e.g., a leftward end, and to contact a leftward surface ofthe slider 171 at the other end thereof, e.g., a rightward end.Therefore, the spring 179 urges the slider 171 and the lever 178 beingin contact with the slider 171 rightward. The spring 180 is arranged tocontact a frame (unsigned) of the printer 11 at one end thereof, e.g., arightward end, and to contact a rightward surface of the lever 178 atthe other end thereof, e.g., a leftward end. Therefore, the spring 180urges the lever 178 and the slider 171 being in contact with the lever178 leftward. An intensity of the urging force of the spring 180 isgreater than an intensity of the spring 179.

The switcher 170 is in the first mode when the lever 178 is engaged withthe first stopper. In the first mode, the lever 178 being pushed by thecarriage 23 moving rightward may move rightward against the urging forceof the spring 180 to be engaged with the second stopper, which islocated rightward with respect to the first stopper. Thereby, the slider171 may follow the lever 178 to move rightward due to the urging forceof the spring 179. Accordingly, the switcher 170 is shifted from thefirst mode shown in FIG. 5A to the second mode shown in FIG. 5B. Inother words, the lever 178 may be pushed by the carriage 23 movingrightward toward the maintenance position and switch the transmittablemodes in the switcher 170 from the first mode to the second mode.

The lever 178 pushed by the carriage 23 moving toward the maintenanceposition may move rightward against the urging force of the spring 180to be engaged with the third stopper, which is located rightward withrespect to the second stopper. Thereby, the slider 171 may follow thelever 178 to move rightward due to the urging force of the spring 179.Accordingly, the switcher 170 is shifted from the second mode shown inFIG. 5B to the third mode shown in FIG. 5C. In other words, the lever178 may be pushed by the carriage 23 moving rightward toward themaintenance position and switch the transmittable modes in the switcher170 from the second mode to the third mode.

The carriage 23 may move further rightward from the maintenance positionto be away from the lever 178 and switch the orientations to moveleftward. The lever 23 separated from the carriage 23 may be disengagedfrom the third stopper. Accordingly, the slider 171 and the lever 178may move leftward due to the urging force of the spring 180, and thelever 178 may be engaged with the first stopper. Accordingly, thetransmittable modes in the switcher 170 may be switched from the thirdmode shown in FIG. 5C to the first mode shown in FIG. 5A. In otherwords, the lever 178 may be separated from the carriage 23 movingleftward from the maintenance position and switch the transmittablemodes in the switcher 170 from the third mode to the first mode.

Thus, the transmittable modes in the switcher 170 may be switched bycontact or separation of the carriage 23 from the lever 178. In otherwords, the destinations of the driving forces of the feeder motor 101and the conveyer motor 102 may be switched by the carriage 23.Meanwhile, the transmittable modes in the switcher 170 may not beswitched from the third mode to the second mode directly but may beswitched from the third mode to the first mode transitively and to thesecond mode.

[Power Source 110]

The MFP 10 includes, as shown in FIG. 6, a power source 110. The posersource 110 includes electric circuits, which may distribute powersupplied from an external power supplier through a power plug to devicesin the MFP 10. In particular, the power source 110 may achieve powerfrom the external power supplier and may output driving voltage (e.g.,24V) to each of the motors 101, 102, 103 and the recording head 39 andcontrolling voltage (e.g., 5V) to the controller 130.

The power source 110 may switch operable modes in the MFP 10 between adriving mode and a sleep mode based on signals concerning the poweroutput from the controller 130. In particular, the controller 130 mayoutput higher-leveled power signal (e.g., 5V) to switch the operablemodes in the power source 110 from the sleep mode to the driving modeand may output lower-leveled power signal (e.g., 0V) to switch theoperable modes in the power source 100 from the driving mode to thesleep mode.

The driving mode may refer to an operable mode, in which the powersource 100 is outputting the driving voltages to the motors 101, 102,103 and the recording head 39. In other words, the motors 101, 102, 103and the recording head 39 may be operable when the power source 100 isin the driving mode. The sleep mode refers to an operable mode, in whichthe power source 100 is not outputting the driving voltages to themotors 101, 102, 103 or the recording head 39. In other words, none ofthe motors 101, 102, 103 and the recording head 39 may be operable whenthe power source 100 is in the sleep mode. Meanwhile, the power source110 outputs the controlling voltages to the controller 130, a wiredcommunication interface 51, and a wireless communication interface 52regardless of the operable mode of the power source 110, i.e., when inthe driving mode and in the sleep mode.

[Controller 130]

The controller 130 includes, as shown in FIG. 6, a CPU 131, a ROM 132, aRAM 133, an EEPROM 134, and an ASIC 135, which are mutually connectedthrough an internal bus 137. The ROM 132 may store programs to beexecuted by the CPU 131 to control actions and operations in the MFP 10.The RAM 133 may serve as a storage area to store data and/or signals tobe used in the programs and as a work area to process the data and/orthe signals. The EEPROM 134 may store configuration information, whichshould be maintained to be used later even once the power supply to thepower source 100 is shut off.

The EEPROM 134 may store time information, which indicates latestdischarge time when the ink was discharged from the nozzles 40 mostrecently. The latest discharge time may indicate, for example, time whena latest flushing process was conducted, time when a latest recordingprocess was conducted, and time when the ink was aspirated through thenozzles 40 by the pump 73 most recently. The controller 130 may obtainthe time information from a system clock (not shown) when the ink isdischarged from the nozzles 40 and store the obtained time informationin the EEPROM 134. The controller 130 may, if older time information isalready stored in the EEPROM 134 by the time when the controller 130obtains new time information concerning the latest discharge time, writethe newly obtained time information in the EEPROM 134 over the existingtime information.

The ASIC 135 is connected with the feeder motor 101, the conveyer motor102, and the carriage motor 103. The ASIC 135 may generate drivingsignals to rotate the feeder motor 101, the conveyer motor 102, and thecarriage motor 103 and output the generated driving signals to thefeeder motor 101, the conveyer motor 102, and the carriage motor 103.The feeder motor 101, the conveyer motor 102, and the carriage motor 103may be rotated in the normal direction or the reverse directionaccording to the driving signals from the ASIC 135. The controller 130may apply the driving voltages from the power source 110 to each of thedriving devices in the recording head 39 through a driver IC, which isnot shown, so that the ink droplets may be discharged through thenozzles 40 corresponding to the driving devices.

The ASIC 135 is connected with a communication interface, which enablescommunication between the MFP 10 and an external device (e.g., theinformation processing terminal 150). The communication interfaceincludes the wired communication interface 51 and the wirelesscommunication interface 52. The ASIC 135 may communicate with theinformation processing terminal 150 by wire (not shown) through thewired communication interface 51 and wirelessly through the wirelesscommunication interface 52. In other words, the controller 130 mayexchange information or data with the information processing terminal150 through the communication interface. Optionally, one of the wiredcommunication interface 51 and the wireless communication interface 52may be omitted from the MFP 10.

The wired communication interface 51 may be, for example, a LANinterface or a USB interface, to which a LAN cable or a USB cable isattachable. The wireless communication interface 52 may be, for example,an antenna that may exchange wireless signals with the informationprocessing terminal 150 in compliance with a Wi-Fi (registeredtrademark) protocol or an antenna that may exchange wireless signals incompliance with a Bluetooth (registered trademark) protocol. In FIG. 6,it may be noted that the information processing terminal 150, which isthe external device outside the MFP 10, is enclosed in dotted rectanglein order to illustrate the wired and wireless communication between theASIC 135 and the information processing terminal 150. The communicationbetween the MFP 10 and the information processing terminal 150 may beindirect through an intermediate relaying apparatus (e.g., an accesspoint, a router, or a hub) or may be direct without being relayedthrough the intermediate relaying apparatus.

The ASIC 135 is further connected with the registration sensor 120, therotary encoder 121, the carriage sensor 38, the medium sensor 122, andthe cap sensor 123. The controller 130 may detect a position of thesheet 12 based on the detection signals output from the registrationsensor 120 and the pulse signals output from the rotary encoder 121.Further, the controller 130 may detect a position of the carriage 23based on the pulse signals output from the carriage sensor 38. Moreover,the controller 130 may detect a position of the cap 71 based on thedetection signals output from the cap sensor 123.

The controller 130 may detect presence of the sheet 12 being conveyed bythe conveyer roller 54 and the ejection roller 55 based on the detectionsignals output from the medium sensor 122. In particular, the controller130 may compare an amount of change in signal levels betweenchronologically adjoining two detection signals with a predeterminedthreshold value. The controller 130 may, based on the amount of changebeing greater than or equal to the threshold value, determine that aleading edge of the sheet 12 reached a position to vertically face themedium sensor 122.

[Information Processing Terminal 150]

The information processing terminal 150 includes, as shown in FIG. 7A, adisplay 153, a communication interface including a wired communicationinterface 155 and a wireless communication interface 156, a CPU 161, amemory 162, and a communication bus 163. The display 153, the wiredcommunication interface 155, the wireless communication interface 156,the CPU 161, and the memory 162 are connected with one another throughthe communication bus 163. The information processing terminal 150includes, for example, but is not limited to, a PC, a tablet terminal, asmartphone, and a mobile phone.

The display 153 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display, or anorganic EL display, which has a displaying screen to display informationand images thereon. The operation interface 154 may be a user interface,through which inputting operations by a user may be entered. Forexample, the operation interface 154 may include a keyboard, a mouse,and a touch-sensor laid over the display 153, or may be a combination ofany of these.

The wired communication interface 155 enables wired communicationbetween the information processing terminal 150 and the MFP 10. Thewired communication interface 155 may be, for example, a LAN interfaceor a USB interface, to which a LAN cable or a USB cable is attachable.The wireless communication interface 156 enables wireless communicationbetween the information processing terminal 150 and the MFP 10. Thewireless communication interface 156 may be, for example, an antennathat may exchange wireless signals with the MFP 10 in compliance with aWi-Fi (registered trademark) protocol or an antenna that may exchangewireless signals in compliance with a Bluetooth (registered trademark)protocol. Optionally, one of the wired communication interface 155 andthe wireless communication interface 156 may be omitted from theinformation processing terminal 150.

The CPU 161 may control overall operations, actions and processes in theinformation processing terminal 150. The CPU 161 may read programs fromthe memory 162 and execute the programs based on information inputthrough the operation interface 154 and/or received from an externaldevice through the wired communication interface 155 or the wirelesscommunication interface 156.

The memory 162 may store an operating system (OS) 164, an editor program165, and a driver program 166. The memory 162 may further store data andinformation required to execute the editor program 165 and the driverprogram 166. The memory 162 may include, for example, a RAM, a ROM, anEEPROM, an HDD, and a combination of any of these.

The editor program 165 may edit contents data according to an operationby the user to the operation interface 154. The editor program 165 may,for example, as shown in FIG. 7B, display an image expressed indesignated contents data in the display 153, receive user's operationsto edit the contents data through the operation interface 154, and editthe contents data according to the received user's operations. Thecontents data may be provided in a number of types of formats, whichinclude, for example, text format, image format, spreadsheet format, andpresentation format.

The driver program 166 may control the MFP 10 to conduct a recordingprocess according to a print instruction received from the editorprogram 165 through the OS 164. The driver program 166 may be a singleprogram or an assembly of multiple programs. The driver program 166defines multiple functions designated by the OS 164. The OS 164 may calland activate the multiple functions from the driver program 166 in apredetermined order so that the driver program 166 may control the MFP10 to conduct the recording process.

The memory 162 may be a computer-readable storage medium, which is anon-transitory medium. The non-transitory medium may include a recordingmedium such as, for example, a CD-ROM and a DVD-ROM. The non-transitorymedium may be a tangible medium. Meanwhile, electrical signals conveyinga program that is downloadable through the internet, for example, from aserver, may form a computer-readable signal medium but may not form anon-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[Processes in Information Processing Terminal 150]

Processes in the information processing terminal 150 to control the MFP10 to conduct the recording process will be described below withreference to FIG. 7B and FIG. 8A.

First, the editor program 165 in the information processing terminal 150may display an editor screen as shown in FIG. 7B in the display 153. Theeditor screen may include a read-instruction icon 111, asave-instruction icon 112, a print-instruction icon 113, and an editableimage 114. The read-instruction icon 111 corresponds to an instruction,by which the CPU 164 reads contents data stored in the memory 162. Thesave-instruction icon 112 corresponds to an instruction, by which theCPU 164 stores the contents data expressing the editable image 114 inthe memory 162. The print-instruction icon 113 corresponds to aninstruction, by which the CPU 164 controls the MFP 10 to conduct therecording process using the contents data. The editable image 114represents an image expressed in the contents data. The editor program165 may receive operations by the user to the editor screen through theoperation interface 154.

The editor program 165 may display a list of contents data in a readableformat in the display 153 in response to an operation by the user toappoint the read-instruction icon 111 through the operation interface154. Thereafter, the editor program 165 may read the contents dataappointed by the user through the operation interface 154 from thememory 162. Thereafter, the editor program 165 may display the editableimage 114 expressed in the appointed contents data in the display 153.The editor program 165 may edit the contents data in response to aninstructing operation by the user to edit the editable image 114 throughthe operation interface 154. The editor program 165 may store the editedcontents data in the memory 162 in response to an instructing operationby the user to appoint the save-instruction icon 112 through theoperation interface 154.

The editor program 165 may instruct the driver program 166 through theOS 164 to conduct a print-instructing process in response to aninstructing operation by the user to appoint the print-instruction icon113 through the operation interface 154. For example, the editor program165 may execute an API to instruct the driver program 116 to conduct theprint-instructing process. Arguments for the API may include, forexample, data ID (e.g., a file name) to identify the contents data beingedited and condition parameters indicating condition to conduct therecording process (e.g., a sheet size, image quality, etc.). In thisregard, appointing the print-instruction icon 113 may be equal to auser's operation to appoint contents data to be processed in therecording process. The print-instructing process may be a process toinstruct the MFP 10 to conduct the recording process with the contentsdata. In the following paragraphs, a print-instructing process <A> willbe described with reference to FIG. 8A.

[Print-Instructing Process <A>]

First, the driver program 166 determines the communication interface,through which the information processing terminal 150 is connected withthe MFP 10, between the wired communication interface 155 and thewireless communication interface 156. Connection between thecommunication interface and the MFP 10 is registered in advance in thememory 162. In response to a determination that the informationprocessing terminal 150 is connected with the MFP 10 through the wiredcommunication interface 155, in S11, the driver program 166 transmits apreceding command to the MFP 10 through the wired communicationinterface 155. On the other hand, if the driver program 166 determinesthat the information processing terminal 150 is connected with the MFP10 through the wireless communication interface 156, in response to thedetermination, in S11, the driver program 166 transmits a precedingcommand to the MFP 10 through the wireless communication interface 156.

The preceding command may be a notice command to notify the MFP 10 ofupcoming transmission of a record command, which will be described laterin detail. The preceding command may include a parameter, which is incorrelation with a receiving interval between receipt of the precedingcommand and receipt of the record command in the MFP 10. Anotherparameter including, for example, performance information indicatinghardware performance of the information processing terminal 150 may beincluded in the preceding command. The performance information mayindicate, for example, at least one of a version of the OS 164 installedin the information processing terminal 150, a clock frequency of the CPU161 in the information processing terminal 150, and a size of a workarea for the CPU 161 reserved in the memory 162 in the informationprocessing terminal 150, e.g., a memory size of a DRAM attached to amemory slot in the memory 162.

The parameter may further include, for example, information indicating aquantity of the programs running in the information processing terminal150. This is because performance of the CPU 161 to run the driverprogram 166 may depend on the quantity of the programs running in theinformation processing terminal 150.

Following the transmission of the preceding command, in S12, the driverprogram 166 starts generating a record command. In particular, thedriver program 166 may rasterize the contents data identified by thedata ID appointed by the argument for the API to generate raster data.Thereafter, based on the generated raster data and the conditionparameter appointed by the argument for the API, the driver program 166may generate a record command, which may include, for example, a feedcommand, a register command, one or more discharge command(s), one ormore convey command(s), and an eject command.

A feed command may control the MFP 10 to feed a sheet 12, which is inone of the feeder trays 20A, 20B. A register command may control the MFP10 to convey the sheet 12 to a position, in which an initial recordablearea in the sheet 12 may face the recording head 39. A discharge commandmay indicate discharging timing for the recording head 39 to dischargeink droplets to form an image in the recordable area on the sheet 12that faces the recording sheet 39. A convey command may control the MFP10 to convey the sheet 12 to a position, in which a next recordable areain the sheet may face the recording head 39. An eject command maycontrol the MFP 10 to eject the sheet 12 with the image recorded thereonto the ejection tray 21.

Following S12, in S13, in response to completion of generating therecord command (S13: YES), in S14, the driver program 166 transmits thegenerated record command to the MFP 10 through the communicationinterface. In particular, the driver program 166 may transmit the feedcommand, the register command, the discharge command, the conveycommand, the discharge command, the convey command . . . , and the ejectcommand, in the order being mentioned, to the MFP 10 through thecommunication interface. The communication interface to transmit therecord command is the same communication interface used to transmit thepreceding command in S11.

The record command may be transmitted to the MFP 10 without anadditional command by the user through the operation interface 154 oncethe user appointed the print-instruction icon 113 through the editorscreen. In this regard, appointing the print-instruction icon 113 may beregarded as the user's expression to command execution of the recordingprocess to the MFP 10. Therefore, the driver program 166 may transmitthe preceding command, generate the record command, and transmit therecord command to the MFP 1 once the print-instruction icon 113 isappointed.

Meanwhile, generating the record command, in particular, the rasterdata, may require a certain length of time. Therefore, generating timeto generate the record command may rely on the hardware performance ofthe information processing terminal 150. In particular, the generatingtime to generate a record command may tend to be longer when a level ofthe hardware performance of the information processing terminal 150indicated by the performance information is lower (e.g., an earlierversion of the OS 164, a lower clock frequency of the CPU 161, or asmaller size of the work area).

[Image Recording Process]

Next, an image recording process according to the present embodimentwill be described with reference to FIGS. 9-11. The MFP 10 may start theimage recording process in response to receiving a command from theinformation processing terminal 150 through one of the wiredcommunication interface 51 and the wireless communication interface 52.At the beginning of the image recording process, the carriage 23 may belocated at the maintenance position, the cap 71 may be located at thecovering position, and the switcher 170 may be in the third mode. Thesteps in the image recording process described in the followingparagraphs may be implemented by the CPU 131 running a program read fromthe ROM 132 or by a hardware circuit (not shown) mounted on thecontroller 130. An order to process the steps may not necessarily befixed to the flow described below but may be modified within a scope ofthe present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

First, in S31, the controller 130 in the MFP 10 may receive either thepreceding command or the record command from the information processingterminal 150 through the communication interface. If the receivedcommand is the preceding command, in response to receipt of thepreceding command (S31: PRECEDING COMMAND), the controller 130 storesfirst interface information indicating the communication interface,through which the preceding command was received, in the memory 162. Inparticular, if the preceding command was received through the wiredcommunication interface 51, a first value “wired” is set in the firstinterface information; and if the preceding command was received throughthe wireless communication interface 52, a second value “wireless” isset in the first interface information.

In S32, the controller 130 executes a flush condition determiningprocess, in which an executing condition to execute a flushing processis determined. The executing condition to execute the flushing processmay include, for example, a quantity of flushing shots, which may be asum of ink droplets to be discharged from each nozzle 40 in a singleflushing process. In other words, the quantity of flushing shots may beequal to an amount of the ink to be discharged from each nozzle 40 priorto the recording process. The executing condition to execute theflushing process may not necessarily be limited to the quantity offlushing shots but may include, for example, a carriage velocity, whichis a moving velocity of the carriage 23 in a single flushing process,and an intensity of the driving voltage to drive the driving devices inthe recording head 39 in a single flushing process. With reference toFIG. 10, described below will be the flush condition determiningprocess.

[Flush Condition Determining Process]

The controller 130 obtains time information indicating the current timefrom the system clock. The controller 130 calculates an elapsed time Tbeing a difference between the latest discharge time, which is indicatedin the time information stored in the EEPROM 134, and the current time.In this regard, the elapsed time T indicates a length of time elapsedsince the ink was discharged most recently from the nozzles 40 and untilthe preceding command was received. In S41, the controller 130 comparesthe elapsed time T with a threshold time T_(th1). When the elapsed timeT is longer than or equal to the threshold time T_(th1) (S41: NO), inS42, the controller 130 compares the elapsed time T with a thresholdtime T_(th2). The threshold times Tali, T_(th2) are values prepared inadvance and stored in the EEPROM 134. The threshold time Tali is shorterthan the threshold time T_(th2) (T_(th1)<T_(th2)).

In response to the result that the elapsed time T is shorter than thethreshold time T_(th1) (S41: YES), in S43, the controller 130 determines50 as the quantity of flushing shots. In response to the result that theelapsed time T is longer than or equal to the threshold time T_(th1)(S41: NO) and shorter than the threshold time T_(th2) (S42: YES), inS44, the controller 130 determines 100 as the quantity of flushingshots. In response to the result that the elapsed time T is longer thanor equal to the threshold time T_(th2) (S42: NO), in S45, the controller130 determines 500 as the quantity of flushing shots. In this regard, ifthe elapsed time T is longer, the quantity of flushing shots isincreased to be larger. Additionally or alternatively, if the elapsedtime T is longer, the carriage velocity may be reduced to be slower,and/or the driving voltage may be increased to be higher.

Following S43 or S44, in response to the determination of 50 (S43) or100 (S44) as the quantity of flushing shots, in other words, in responseto the elapsed time T being shorter than the threshold time T_(th2), inS46 or in S47, the controller 130 executes a standby period determiningprocess, in which a length of standby period may be determined based ona parameter. On the other hand, in response to the determination of 500as the quantity of flushing shots (S45), in other words, in response tothe elapsed time T being longer than or equal to the threshold timeT_(th2), in S48, the controller 130 determines 0 second as the standbyperiod, which may be a shortest applicable standby period.

The standby period may mean a length of time between receipt of thepreceding command and start of an uncapping process (S62) (see FIG. 12).With reference to FIG. 11, described below will be the standby perioddetermining process.

[Standby Period Determining Process]

In S51, the controller 130 determines the value set in the firstinterface information. Following S51, in either S52 or S53, thecontroller 130 compares the level of the hardware performance of theinformation processing terminal 150 indicated in the performanceinformation contained in the preceding command with a predeterminedthreshold value. Based on the determinations in S51-S53, in S54-S57, thecontroller 130 determines the length of the standby period among, forexample, 0 second, 0.5 second, and 1 second. However, the lengths of theapplicable standby period may not necessarily be limited to these. Forexample, the shortest standby period may not necessarily be limited to 0but may be longer than 0.

In particular, in response to the determinations in S51 that the firstinterface information indicates the first value “wired” (S51: WIRED) andin S52 that the hardware performance is higher than or equal to thethreshold value (S52: YES), in S54, the controller 130 determines 0second as the standby period. In response to the determinations in S51that the first interface information indicates the first value “wired”(S51: WIRED) and in S52 that the hardware performance is lower than thethreshold value (S52: NO), in S55, the controller 130 determines 0.5second as the standby period. In response to the determinations in S51that the first interface information indicates the second value“wireless” (S51: WIRELESS) and in S53 that the hardware performance ishigher than or equal to the threshold value (S53: YES), in S56, thecontroller 130 determines 0.5 second as the standby period. Moreover, inresponse to the determinations in S51 that the first interfaceinformation indicates the first value “wireless” (S51: WIRELESS) and inS53 that the hardware performance is lower than the threshold value(S53: NO), in S57, the controller 130 determines 1 second as the standbyperiod. Thus, the lower the hardware performance indicates, the longerstandby period the controller 130 determines; and the higher thehardware performance indicates, the shorter standby period thecontroller 130 determines.

A method to prepare the threshold value and the comparable hardwareperformance may not necessarily be limited, but the threshold value andthe comparable hardware performance of the information processingterminal 150 may be prepared, for example, in the following method. Thatis, the controller 130 may set a value “5” to represent the hardwareperformance of the information processing terminal 150 if the version ofthe OS 164 in the performance information is higher than or equal to apredetermined threshold version. Further, if the clock frequency of theCPU 161 indicated in the performance information is 4 GHz, thecontroller 130 may add a value “4,” which is the numeric figure removingthe unit (GHz) indicating the substantive extent of the clock frequency,to the hardware performance of the information processing terminal 150.Moreover, if the size of the work area indicated in the performanceinformation of the information processing terminal 150 is 2 Giga bytes,the controller 130 may add a value “2,” which is the numeric figureremoving the unit (Giga) indicating the substantive largeness of thework area, to the hardware performance.

In this regard, the hardware performance may be a numerical sum of thespecification of the information processing terminal 150 indicated inthe performance information. Methods to numerically express the items inthe specification may not necessarily be limited to the method describedabove. For example, one of the items that tends to be affected more bythe generating time to generate the raster data may be weighed moreheavily, and another item that tends to be affected less by thegenerating time to generate the raster data may be weighed less heavily.Further, methods to calculate the hardware performance may notnecessarily be limited to the method described above as long as themethod may provide estimation for the length of time required by theinformation processing terminal 150 to generate the raster data.

For example, one or more of known performance evaluating technics, suchas MIPS (million instructions per second), instruction mix, e.g., Gibsonmix and commercial mix, benchmarks, and simulations, may be adopted. Forexample, the driver program 166 may adopt one or more of the knownperformance evaluating technics and express the evaluation resultnumerically to determine the level of the hardware performance. Foranother example, the driver program 166 may obtain an evaluation resultachieved by the known performance evaluating technic from a server (notshown) and adopt the obtained evaluation result as the hardwareperformance.

The generating time to generate the raster data tends to be shorter whenthe hardware performance value is greater and longer when the hardwareperformance value is smaller. Meanwhile, the hardware performance of thecommunication interface indicated in the first interface information maynot be directly affected by the length of the generating time of theraster data. In this regard, however, wired communication through thewireless communication interface 52 may experience communicationoverheads and retries due to communication failures more frequently thanwired communication through the wired communication interface 51.Meanwhile, the record command tends to contain a larger volume of datathan the preceding command. Therefore, the receiving interval betweenreceipt of the preceding command and receipt of the record commandthrough the wireless communication interface 52 may tend to be longerthan the receiving interval between receipt of the preceding command andreceipt of the record command through the wired communication interface51.

In one of S54, S55, S56, and S57, the controller 130 activates a timerto monitor elapse of the standby period determined in one of S46, S47,and S48. Meanwhile, if the length of the standby period determined inS46, S47, or S48 is 0 second, the timer may be not necessarily beactivated.

Returning to FIG. 9, in S33, the controller 130 conducts a firstpreparatory process, in which the printer 11 may be placed in anexecutable condition for the recording process. In this regard, thepreceding command may be a command to activate the first preparatoryprocess, through which the printer 11 may be placed in an executablecondition for the recording process. The executable condition for therecording process may be, for example, a condition, in which an image inat least a predetermined level of quality is recordable. The firstpreparatory process may include, for example, as shown in FIGS. 12 and13, a voltage-increasing process (S61), an uncapping process (S62), afirst moving process (S63), and a drive-switching process (S64).

The voltage-increasing process (S61) includes an action to increase thedriving voltage to be delivered to each device in the printer 11 to atarget voltage value V_(T) (e.g., 24V). The power source 110 may, forexample, increase the voltage of the power supplied from the externalpower supplier to the target voltage value V_(T) through a regulatorcircuit, which is not shown. Increasing the voltage in the power source110 may mean, for example, storing electric charge in a capacitordevice, such as a condenser, which is not shown. Once the substantialelectric charge to bear the target voltage value V_(T) is stored in thecapacitor device, the regulator circuit may continuously apply voltagerequired to maintain the driving voltage to the capacitor device.

In this regard, however, acutely increased voltage from the capacitordevice may cause unstable fluctuation in the driving voltage. Therefore,the controller 130 may need to gradually increase the voltage. Forexample, the driving voltage may be increased up to a checking voltagevalue V₁ under feedback control. In response to the driving voltagereaching the checking voltage value V₁, the controller 130 may increaseunder feedback control the driving voltage to a checking voltage valueV₂. Thus, the driving voltage may be gradually increased step-by-step toprevent fluctuation of the driving voltage being increased. In thisregard, the checking voltage value V₁ is smaller than the checkingvoltage value V₂, and the checking voltage value V₂ is smaller than thetarget voltage value V_(T) (V₁<V₂< . . . <V_(T)).

Optionally, the controller 130 may conduct the voltage-increasingprocess while the power source 110 is in a condition to apply thedriving voltage to the recording head 39. The condition to apply thedriving voltage to the recording head 39 may include a condition, inwhich the driving voltage being increased is applied to the vibratingdevices in the recording head 39 while a switching device in a circuitbetween the power source 110 and the recording head 39 is conductive. Inother words, the condition to apply the driving voltage to the recordinghead 39 may include a condition, in which ink droplets may be dischargedfrom the nozzles 40 as soon as the driving voltage being increasedreaches the target voltage value, e.g., 24V. Under this condition,fluctuation of the driving voltage being increased may be prevented evenmore effectively in the following reasons.

That is, in general, in a fluctuating waveform of a voltage beingapplied to a circuit, lengths of time to be taken in rise and fall inthe waveform tend to be longer when the circuit contains a greaterresistance component. In other words, the greater the resistancecomponent is, in the smaller a fluctuation range per unit time thevoltage may fluctuate. Meanwhile, circuits between the power source 110and the vibrating devices in the recording head 39 contain resistancecomponents such as a transistor being a part of the switching device andan output device to output the driving signals. In this regard, avoltage path between the power source 110 and the recording head 39 mayform a single circuit, in which the fluctuation range of the voltagebeing increased may be smaller, compared to a configuration, in whichthe power source 110 forming a single circuit and the recording head 39are separated.

Further, a controlling circuit in the recording head 39 with thevibrating devices may be regarded as a condenser having a predeterminedlevel of electrostatic capacity. The condenser may repeat charging anddischarging as the driving voltage being applied thereto fluctuates. Asa result, high-frequency components in the voltage fluctuation may beeliminated, and the fluctuation of the voltage being increased may bereduced more effectively.

Moreover, the voltage-increasing process (S61) may be conductedgenerally when the MFP 10 is powered on and when the operable modes inthe power source 110 are switched from the sleep mode to the drivingmode. Therefore, if the driving voltage is already at the target voltagevalue V_(T) after powering on the MFP 10 or switching the operable modeto the driving mode, the voltage-increasing process (S61) may beomitted.

The uncapping process (S62) being another one of the processes in thefirst preparatory process includes an action to move the cap 71 from thecovering position to the separate position. Therefore, the controller130 may control the feeder motor 101 to rotate for a predeterminedrotation amount. As the rotating driving force of the feeder motor 101is transmitted to the vertically-moving device 76 through the switcher170 in the third mode, the cap 71 may be moved from the coveringposition to the separate position. Meanwhile, the detection signalsoutput from the cap sensor 123 may shift from the higher-leveled signalsto the lower-leveled signals during the uncapping process, i.e., afterthe cap 71 leaves the covering position and before the cap 71 reachesthe separate position.

The first moving process (S63) being another one of the processes in thefirst preparatory process includes an action to move the carriage 23 toa flushing position, which is leftward with respect to the ink receiver75, after the cap 71 is separated from the recording head 39. Inparticular, the controller 130 may move the carriage 23 at themaintenance position rightward and thereafter leftward to the flushingposition. Optionally, in order to prevent menisci in the ink in thenozzles 40 of the recording head 39 from collapsing, the controller 130may move the carriage 23 leftward at a lower velocity at the beginningof the first moving process in S63.

The drive-switching process (S64) being another one of the processes inthe first preparatory process includes an action to switch thetransmittable modes in the switcher 170 from the third mode to the firstmode. In particular, the controller 130 may control both the feedermotor 101 and the conveyer motor 102 to rotate in the normal directionand then in the reverse direction sequentially. Thereby, interfacepressure between the driving gear 172 and the driven gear 176 andinterface pressure between the driving gear 173 and the driven gear 177may dissolve so that the driving gear 172 and the driven gear 176 may beunmeshed smoothly, and the driving gear 173 and the driven gear 177 maybe unmeshed smoothly. Further, the driving gear 172 may mesh with thedriven gear 174 smoothly.

The controller 130 may, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, start thevoltage-increasing process upon receiving the preceding command from theinformation processing terminal 150 regardless of the standby perioddetermined in one of S46-S48. In the case where 0 second is determinedas the standby period in one of S46-S48, the controller 130 may startthe uncapping process in parallel with the voltage-increasing process,as shown in FIG. 12. On the other hand, in the case where a lengthlonger than 0 second is determined as the standby period in one ofS46-S48, the controller 130 may start the uncapping process in responseto expiry of the timer activated in the flush condition determiningprocess, as shown in FIG. 13. Therefore, the uncapping process may startlater than the voltage-increasing process.

It may be noted that the timer may activate immediately after thedetermination of the standby period in one of S46, S47, S48; therefore,technically, the uncapping process may start after completion of S46,S47, S48 and after the standby period. However, a length of the timebetween receipt of the preceding command and activation of the timer maybe negligibly short compared to the receiving interval between receiptof the preceding command and the record command in the MFP 10. In thisrespect, it may be regarded that the uncapping process starts when thestandby period elapses since receipt of the preceding command.

The controller 130 may, further, start the first moving process and thedrive-switching process when the level of the detection signals from thecap sensor 123 shifts from the higher level to the lower level. In otherwords, the controller 130 may start the first moving process and thedrive-switching process later than the start of the uncapping process.The controller 130 may conduct the part of the first moving process tomove the carriage 23 leftward in the lower velocity and the part of thefirst moving process to move the carriage 23 rightward from themaintenance position in parallel with the uncapping process. On theother hand, the controller 130 may conduct the part of the first movingprocess to move the carriage 23 leftward to the flushing position aftercompletion of the uncapping process.

Returning to FIG. 9, another part of the image recording process will bedescribed below. In S31, if the command received from the informationprocessing terminal 150 through the communication interface in the MFP10 is the record command, in response to receipt of the record command(S31: RECORD COMMAND), in S34, the controller 130 may determine whetherthe first preparatory process is completed. The communication interfaceto receive the record command is the same communication interface as thecommunication interface, through which the preceding command wasreceived, i.e., either the wired communication interface 51 or thewireless communication interface 52. In this regard, the record commandmay be received before completion of the first preparatory process, asshown in FIG. 12, or may be received after completion of the firstpreparatory process, as shown in FIG. 13. In S34, in response to adetermination that the first preparatory process is incomplete (S34:NO), the controller 130 waits for the first preparatory process to becompleted before proceeding to steps onward.

In S34, in response to a determination that the first preparatoryprocess is completed (S34: YES), in S35, the controller 130 conducts asecond preparatory process. The second preparatory process, whichincludes processes to place the printer 11 in the executable conditionfor the recording process that are not included in the first preparatoryprocess. The second preparatory process may include, for example, aflushing process (S71), a second moving process (S72), a feeding process(S73), and a registering process (S74), as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13.

The flushing process (S71) includes an action to control the recordinghead 39 to discharge ink droplets at the ink receiver 75 from thenozzles 40 while the carriage 23 is moved rightward in the second movingprocess. Therefore, the controller 130 may apply the driving voltageincreased to the target voltage value V_(T) in the voltage-increasingprocess (S61) to the driving devices corresponding to the respectivenozzles 40 at predetermined timings set in advance on the nozzle 40basis so that the quantity of shots of ink droplets determined in theflush condition determining process may be discharged from each one ofthe nozzles 40.

The discharging timing to discharge the ink droplets in the flushingprocess may be designed in advance so that the ink droplets may fall onthe guide walls 75B, 75C. The discharging timing to discharge the inkdroplets from each nozzle 40 may be regulated depending on the encodervalues from the carriage sensor 38. For example, among 24 lines ofnozzles 40, i.e., six lines of nozzles 40 for each of the black ink, theyellow ink, the cyan ink, and the magenta ink, the ink droplets may bedischarged from the nozzles 40 in a rightmost nozzle line among the sixlines of nozzles 40 for the black ink and the nozzles 40 in a rightmostnozzle line among the six lines of nozzles 40 for the cyan ink at firstdischarging timing. Thereafter, at second discharging timing, the inkdroplets may be discharged from the nozzles 40 in a second nozzle linefrom the right among the six lines of nozzles 40 for the black ink andthe nozzles 40 in a second nozzle line from the right among the sixlines of nozzles 40 for the cyan ink. Thus, the nozzle lines todischarge the ink droplets may shift leftward line by line until the inkdroplets are discharged from the nozzles 40 in a leftmost nozzle lineamong the six lines of nozzles 40 for the yellow ink and from thenozzles in a leftmost nozzle line among the six lines of nozzles 40 forthe magenta ink. In other words, the controller 130 may control therecording head 39 to discharge the ink droplets from the lines ofnozzles 40 in the aligning order of the nozzle lines along the mainscanning direction, e.g., from right to left.

The second moving process (S72) being another one of the processes inthe second preparatory process includes an action to move the carriage23 rightward to a detectable position. In particular, the controller 130may drive the carriage motor 103 to move the carriage 23 rightward tothe detectable position. The detectable position, in which the carriage23 may face the sheet 12 in any size (e.g., A4, B4, legal, 3.5*5, etc.)supportable by the feeder trays 20A, 20B, within the sheet-facing area.The detectable position may be at a center of the sheet-face area alongthe main scanning direction, when the feeder trays 20A, 20B support thesheet 12 at a center-aligned position in the main scanning direction.

The feeding process (S73) being another one of the processes in thesecond preparatory process includes an action to control the feeder 15Ato feed the sheet 12 supported by the feeder tray 20A to a position toreach the conveyer roller 54. The feeding process may be conducted whenthe feed command designates the feeder tray 20A as a feed source tosupply the sheet 12 in the conveyer path 65. In particular, thecontroller 130 may control the feeder motor 101 to rotate in the normaldirection according to the feed command, and, after the level of thedetection signals from the registration sensor 120 shifts from the lowerlevel to the higher level, to rotate in the normal direction for apredetermined rotation amount. As the rotating driving force from thefeeder motor 101 is transmitted to the feeder roller 25A through theswitcher 170 in the first mode, the sheet 12 supported by the feedertray 20A may be fed in the conveyer path 65.

The registering process (S74) being another one of the processes in thesecond preparatory process includes an action to control the conveyerroller 54 and the ejection roller 55 to convey the sheet 12, whichreached the conveyer roller 54 in the feeding process, in the conveyingorientation 16 to the position where the initial recordable area in thesheet 12 being fed may face the recording head 39. In particular, thecontroller 130 may control the conveyer motor 102 according to theregister command to rotate the conveyer roller 54 and the ejectionroller 55 in the normal direction until the initial recordable area inthe sheet 12 reached the conveyer roller 54 faces the recording head 39.Meanwhile, the controller 130 may detect the leading edge of the sheet12 through the medium sensor 122 during the registering process.

None of the actions in the processes S71-S74 may be started until atleast one of the actions in the processes S61-64 is completed. Inparticular, the second moving process may not be started until thevoltage-increasing process and the first moving process are bothcompleted but may be started before completion of the drive-switchingprocess. Meanwhile, the flushing process may not be started until thesecond moving process is started. Further, the feeding process may notbe started until the drive-switching process is completed but may bestarted before completion of the voltage-increasing process or the firstmoving process. Moreover, the registering process may not be startedbefore completion of the feeding process.

In other words, the controller 130 may start the second moving processin response to completion of the voltage-increasing process and thefirst moving process and may start the flushing process after startingthe second moving process. Thus, the controller 130 may conduct thesecond moving process and the flushing process in parallel. Moreover,the controller 130 may start the feeding process in response tocompletion of the drive-switching process and, in response to completionof the feeding process, the controller 130 may start the registeringprocess.

Meanwhile, although omitted from the accompanying drawings, if the feedcommand designates the feeder tray 20B as the feeder source of the sheet12, the controller 130 may, in response to completion of the flushingprocess, switch the transmittable modes in the switcher 170 from thefirst mode to the second mode. In particular, the controller 130 maymove the carriage 23 moving in the second moving process furtherrightward so that the lever 178 engaged with the first stopper may bemoved to be engaged with the second stopper. Thereafter, in response tothe transmittable mode in the switcher 170 being switched to the secondmode, the controller 130 may move the carriage 23 leftward toward thedetectable position. Moreover, in response to the transmittable mode inthe switcher 170 being switched to the second mode, the controller 130may start the feeding process to feed the sheet 12 supported by thefeeder tray 20B in the conveyer path 65.

Returning to FIG. 9, a remaining part of the image recording processwill be described below. The controller 130 may, in response tocompletion of all of the actions contained in the second preparatoryprocess, conduct the recording process in S36-S39 in compliance with therecord command received in S31. The recording process may include, forexample, a discharging process (S36) and a conveying process (S38),which may be repeated alternately, and an ejecting process (S39). Thedischarging process (S39) includes an action to control the recordinghead 39 to discharge the ink droplets at the recordable area in thesheet 12 facing the recording head 39. The conveying process (S38)includes an action to control the conveyer roller 54 to convey the sheet12 for a predetermined distance in the conveying orientation 16. Theejecting process (S39) includes an action to control the ejection roller55 to eject the sheet 12 with the image recorded thereon at the ejectiontray 21.

In particular, in S36, the controller 130 moves the carriage 23 from oneend to the other end of the sheet-facing area and control the recordinghead 39 to discharge ink droplets according to the discharge command. InS37, the controller 130 determines whether there remains unrecordedimage, which is to be recorded in the recordable area in the sheet 12.In response to a determination that there remains the unrecorded imagefor another recordable area in the sheet 12 (S37: NO), in S38, thecontroller 130 controls the conveyer roller 54 to convey the sheet 12 toa position, in which a next recordable area in the sheet 12 may face therecording head 39. S37-S38 may be repeated until a determination thatthere remains no unrecorded image for another recordable area in thesheet 12 is made. In S37, in response to a determination that thereremains unrecorded image (S37: YES), in S39, the controller 130 maycontrol the ejection roller 55 to eject the sheet 12 at the ejectiontray 21 in compliance with the ejection command.

Although not shown in the accompanying drawings, in response tocompletion of the recording process (S36-S39), the controller 130 maymove the carriage 23 to the maintenance position, switch thetransmittable mode in the switcher 170 to the third mode, and move thecap 71 to the covering position. Further, in response to elapse of apredetermined length of time since the cap 71 moved to the coveringposition, the controller 130 may switch the operable modes of the powersource 110 from the driving mode to the sleep mode.

[Benefits]

According to the embodiment described above, the uncapping process maybe conducted after passage of the standby period, which is determinedaccording to the receiving interval between the preceding command andthe record command; therefore, a length of time between the uncappingprocess and the flushing process, i.e., a length of time in which thenozzles 40 may be exposed uncovered, may be restrained from beingprolonged unnecessarily. Further, compared to a configuration, in whichthe uncapping process is conducted after receiving the record command, alength of FPOT may be reduced. In other words, while the image recordingquality may be restrained from lowering, the FPOT may be shortened.

The voltage-increasing process may be one of the most time-consumingpreparatory process in the plurality of preparatory processes to beconducted by the MFP 10. Meanwhile, the timing to conduct thevoltage-increasing process may not affect the image recording quality.Therefore, as described in the embodiment above, the voltage-increasingprocess may be started as soon as the preceding command is received sothat the image recording quality may be restrained from lowering, andthe EPOT may be shortened.

According to the embodiment described above, the flushing process may beconducted immediately before conducting the recording process, i.e.,after receipt of the record command. Therefore, the image recordingquality may be restrained from lowering more effectively. Further, thelength of time between the uncapping process and the flushing process,i.e., the length of time in which the nozzles 40 may be exposeduncovered, may be shortened. Therefore, an amount of the ink to be usedin the flushing process may be reduced, and the ink to be used in therecording process may be saved.

In this regard, however, the amount of the ink to be used in theshortened flushing process may be reduced. Therefore, the smalldifference in the lengths of time to expose the nozzles 40 uncovered mayaffect the image recording quality largely. In this regard, as describedin the above embodiment, if the time elapsed since the latest dischargetime is shorter, it may be preferable that the length of time to exposethe nozzle 40 may be reduced by conducting the uncapping process afterthe elapse of the standby period determined based on the parameter. Onthe other hand, if the time elapsed since the latest discharge time islonger, the amount of the ink to be discharged in the flushing processmay be increased. In this regard, the difference in the lengths of timeto maintain the nozzles 40 exposed may affect the image recordingquality to a relatively smaller extent. Therefore, as described in theabove embodiment, if the elapsed time since the latest discharge time islonger, it may be preferable that the FPOT is reduced by reducing thestandby period to the shortest length.

According to the embodiment described above, the length of the standbyperiod is determined depending on the performance information and thefirst interface information. Thus, a preferable length of standby periodmay be determined by combining the plurality of parameters in differentaspects. It may be noted that the parameters, or the combination of theparameters, to be used to determine the length of the standby may notnecessarily be limited to the performance information and the firstinterface information. The parameters to be used to determine the lengthof the standby period may include, for example, characteristicinformation and second interface information, which are described below,contained in the preceding command.

The characteristic information is a parameter indicating acharacteristic of the contents data to be processed in the recordingprocess. The characteristic information may indicate, for example, atleast one of a data format (e.g., document, image, etc.,) of thecontents data, which may be expressed in an extension, a data size ofthe contents data, and a resolution of the contents data. The generatingtime to generate a record command may vary depending on thecharacteristics of the contents data indicated in the characteristicinformation. For example, contents data in an image format may takelonger time to generate raster data to be contained in the recordcommand compared to contents data in a document format. For anotherexample, contents data in a certain data format (e.g., PDF format) mayneed to be converted into another format through a server in theinternet in order to generate a record command. Meanwhile, contents datain a larger data size and contents data in a higher resolution tend torequire longer time to generate raster data.

The second interface information may be a parameter indicating acommunication interface of the information processing terminal 150 thattransmits the preceding command. In other words, the second interfaceinformation may be a parameter indicating either one of the wiredcommunication interface 155 and the wireless communication interface156. For example, the second interface information may indicate a firstvalue “wired” if the information processing terminal 150 transmitted thepreceding command through the wired communication interface 155 and mayindicate a second value “wireless” if the information processingterminal 150 transmitted the preceding command through the wirelesscommunication interface 156. A receiving interval between receipt of thepreceding command and receipt of the record command transmitted throughthe wireless communication interface 156 may tend to be longer than thereceiving interval between the preceding command and the record commandtransmitted through the wired communication interface 155.

In this regard, in communication between the MFP 10 and the informationprocessing terminal 150 through a communication network, the firstinterface information may indicate a communication protocol between theMFP 10 and a closest intermediate relaying device, and the secondinterface information may indicate a communication protocol between theinformation processing terminal 150 and a closest intermediate relayingdevice. Therefore, the length of the standby period may be determinedbased on a combination of the first interface information and the secondinterface information. In other words, within a communication pathbetween the MFP 10 and the information processing terminal 150, a wiredcommunication section and a wireless communication section may becontained, and the controller 130 may shorten the standby period whenthe wired communication section is relatively long.

For example, if the first value “wired” is set both in the firstinterface information and the second interface information, thecontroller 103 may determine a first length as the standby period. Ifthe first value “wired” is set in one of the first interface informationand the second value “wireless” is set in the other of the firstinterface information and the second interface information, thecontroller 130 may determine a second length, which is longer than thefirst length, as the standby period. If the second value “wireless” isset both in the first interface information and the second interfaceinformation, the controller 103 may determine a third length, which islonger than the second length, as the standby period.

Modified Example

Although an examples of carrying out the invention has been described,those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerousvariations and permutations of the inkjet recording apparatus, thecomputer-readable storage medium, and the recordable system that fallwithin the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in theappended claims.

For example, the standby period determining process (see FIG. 8A) maynot necessarily be conducted by the controller 130 in the MFP 10, whichreceives the preceding command and the record command, but may beconducted by the information processing terminal 150, which transmitsthe preceding command and the record command. In the followingparagraphs, described will be a print instructing process <B> to beconducted by the driver program 166 in the information processingterminal 150 with reference to FIG. 8B. In the following paragraphs,steps, instructions, processes, and actions that are identical orsubstantially similar to those described in the print instructingprocess <A> (see FIG. 8A) will be omitted.

[Print Instructing Process <B>]

In S21, in response to an instruction given by the editor program 165through the OS 164 to conduct the print instructing process <B>, thedriver program 166 conducts a standby period determining process. Theprocess in S21 is substantially similar to the standby perioddetermining process shown in FIG. 11, except that the first interfaceinformation is not used as the parameter. The driver program 166activates a timer to monitor elapse of the standby period determined inS21. In S22, the driver program 166 starts generating a record command.The process in S22 may be conducted in the same manner as S12 in theprint instructing process <A>.

In S23, in response to expiry of the timer, i.e., elapse of the standbyperiod, while generating the record command (S23: YES), in S24, thedriver program 166 transmits the preceding command to the MFP 10 throughthe communication interface. In this regard, the standby period may be atime period between the user's input to instruct the informationprocessing terminal 150 to conduct the recording process, or start ofgenerating the record command, and transmission of the precedingcommand. The process in S24 may be conducted in the same manner as S11in the print instructing process <A> except that the preceding commandmay not contain a parameter.

In S25, in response to completion of transmitting the preceding commandand generating the record command (S25: YES), in S26, the driver program166 transmits the record command to the MFP 10 through the communicationinterface. The process in S26 may be conducted in the same manner as S14in the print instructing process <A>.

According to the modified example described above, the timing totransmit the preceding command may be adjusted depending on thereceiving interval between the preceding command and the record commandin the MFP 10. Therefore, the MFP 10 may start the first preparatoryprocess upon receipt of the preceding command regardless of the lengthof the receiving interval between the preceding command and the recordcommand. In this regard, the MFP 10, which receives the precedingcommand from the driver program 166 according to the print instructingprocess <B>, may omit the standby period determining process in S46-S48and start the voltage-increasing process and the uncapping processsimultaneously, as shown in FIG. 12.

The driver program 166 to conduct the print instructing process <B> mayinstruct not only the inkjet recording apparatus but also a laserprinter, which may record an image on a sheet in an electro-photographictechnic, to conduct the recording process. The laser printer may need toconduct a preparatory process, including heating a fuser, prior toconducting the recording process. In this regard, the laser printer mayconduct the heating action upon receipt of the preceding command and therecording process upon receipt of the record command so that the FPOTmay be shortened effectively.

Meanwhile, if the receiving interval between the preceding command andthe record command is prolonged, the laser printer may need to continueheating the fuser even after the temperature in the fuser reached arequired temperature in order to maintain the required temperature. Inthis regard, the fuser may be damaged by the excessive heat, or thepower consumption to the laser printer may be increased. In this regard,it may be preferable that the preceding command is transmitted at thetiming depending on the receiving interval between the preceding commandand the record command in the laser printer, as shown in FIG. 8B.

More Examples

For further example, the feeder rollers 25A, 25B, the vertically-movingdevice 76 for the cap 71, the conveyer roller 60, the ejection roller62, and the pump 73 may not necessarily be driven by two motors, whichare the feeder motor 101 and the conveyer motor 102. That is, the feedermotor 101 may be omitted, while the conveyer motor 102 may drive thefeeder rollers 25A, 25B, the vertically-moving device for the cap 71,the conveyer roller 60, the ejection roller 62, and the pump 73.

For another example, the recording head 39 to discharge the ink dropletsmay not necessarily be movable along with the carriage 23 moving in themain-scanning direction. That is, the recording head may be a known linehead, in which the nozzles 40 are arranged entirely in the sheet-facearea.

What is claimed is:
 1. An inkjet recording apparatus, comprising: arecording head comprising a nozzle for discharging ink; a cap configuredto cover the nozzle; a moving mechanism configured to move at least oneof the recording head and the cap to shift positional relation betweenthe recording head and the cap, between a covered state, in which thenozzle is covered by the cap contacting the recording head, and aseparated state, in which the recording head and the cap are separatedfrom each other; a communication interface; and a controller configuredto: in response to receipt of a preceding command notifying upcomingtransmission of a record command, the record command being aninstruction to the inkjet recording apparatus to record an image on amedium, from an information processing terminal through thecommunication interface, determine a standby period based on a parameterbeing in correlation with a receiving interval between receipt of thepreceding command and receipt of the record command; in response toelapse of the determined standby period, control the moving mechanism touncap the recording head by shifting the positional relation between therecording head and the cap from the covered state to the separatedstate; and in response to receipt of the record command notified in thepreceding command from the information processing terminal through thecommunication interface, and in response to completion of the uncapping,control the recording head in accordance with the record command todischarge the ink from the nozzle to record the image on the medium. 2.The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein thecommunication interface includes: a wired communication interfaceconfigured to communicate with the information processing terminalthrough a cable; and a wireless communication interface configured towirelessly communicate with the information processing terminal, whereinthe controller determines the communication interface, through which thepreceding command was received, between the wired communicationinterface and the wireless communication interface, as the parameter tobe based on to determine the standby period, wherein, in response to adetermination that the preceding command was received through the wiredcommunication interface, the controller determines a first period as thestandby period, and wherein, in response to a determination that thepreceding command was received through the wireless communicationinterface, the controller determines a second period being longer thanthe first period as the standby period.
 3. The inkjet recordingapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication interfaceincludes: a wired communication interface configured to communicate withthe information processing terminal through a cable; and a wirelesscommunication interface configured to wirelessly communicate with theinformation processing terminal, wherein the controller determines thecommunication interface, through which the preceding command wasreceived, between the wired communication interface and the wirelesscommunication interface, as the parameter to be based on to determinethe standby period, wherein the preceding command includes performanceinformation indicating hardware performance of the informationprocessing terminal as the parameter, and wherein the controllerdetermines whether the hardware performance indicated in the performanceinformation is one of higher than or equal to a threshold level andlower than the threshold level and determines: a first period as thestandby period in response to determinations that the preceding commandwas received through the wired communication interface and that thehardware performance is higher than or equal to the threshold level; asecond period, being longer than the first period, as the standby periodin response to determinations that the preceding command was receivedthrough the wired communication interface and that the hardwareperformance is lower than the threshold level; the second period as thestandby period in response to determinations that the preceding commandwas received through the wireless communication interface and that thehardware performance is higher than or equal to the threshold level; anda third period being longer than the second period as the standby periodin response to determinations that the preceding command was receivedthrough the wireless communication interface and that the hardwareperformance is lower than the threshold level.
 4. The inkjet recordingapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the preceding command includesperformance information indicating hardware performance of theinformation processing terminal as the parameter, and wherein thecontroller is configured to: if the performance information indicates afirst level of the hardware performance of the information processingterminal, determine a first standby period as the standby period; and ifthe performance information indicates a second level of the hardwareperformance of the information processing terminal, the second levelbeing lower than the first level, determine a second standby periodbeing longer than the first standby period as the standby period.
 5. Theinkjet recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the performanceinformation includes at least one of: first information indicating atleast one of a version of an OS installed in the information processingterminal, a clock frequency of a CPU in the information processingterminal, and a size of a work area for the CPU reserved in a memory inthe information processing terminal; and second information numericallyexpressing the first information.
 6. The inkjet recording apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the preceding command includescharacteristic information indicating characteristics of image data, theimage data expressing the image to be recorded on the medium, whereinthe controller requires generating time to generate the record commandfrom the image data, a length of the generating time varying dependingon the characteristics of the image data, and wherein the controllerdetermines the standby period to be longer as the generating time islonger and the standby period to be shorter as the generating time isshorter.
 7. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 6, whereinthe characteristic information indicates at least one of a data formatof the image data, a data size of the image data, and a resolution ofthe image data.
 8. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the recording head comprises a drive element for discharging theink from the nozzle, wherein the inkjet recording apparatus furthercomprises a power source configured to apply a driving voltage to thedriving element, and wherein the controller starts increasing thedriving voltage from the power source to a target voltage value inresponse to receipt of the preceding command regardless of a length ofthe determined standby period.
 9. The inkjet recording apparatusaccording to claim 8, further comprising: an ink receiver configured toreceive the ink discharged from the nozzle of the recording head,wherein the controller controls the recording head to discharge the inkfrom the nozzle toward the ink receiver in response to receipt of therecord command and in response to completion of the increase of thedriving voltage and completion of the uncapping.
 10. The inkjetrecording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the controllercontrols the recording head to discharge a larger amount of the ink fromthe nozzle toward the ink receiver in response to an elapsed time periodsince the ink was discharged from the nozzle most recently being longerand a smaller amount of the ink from the nozzle toward the ink receiverin response to the elapsed time period being shorter, wherein, inresponse to the elapsed time period being shorter than a thresholdlength, the controller determines the standby period based on theparameter, and wherein, in response to the elapsed time period beinglonger than or equal to the threshold length, the controller determinesa shortest applicable period as the standby period.